Introduction to the French New Wave

This video introduces the film movement known as the French New Wave, with an emphasis on the historical conditions of the movement as well as the major published writings associated with the thought of the French New Wave. Topics discussed include Cahiers du Cinema and auteur theory. Written works discussed include Francois Truffaut's "A Certain Tendency in French Cinema" and Alexandre Astruc's The Birth of a New Avant-Garde: La Camera-Stylo.

Some films briefly discussed include Breathless (Godard, 1960), 400 Blows (Truffaut, 1959), and Jules and Jim (Truffaut, 1962).

*Correction: At 17:00, I don't quite make clear that the CNC wasn't funding the kinds of movies we'd associate with the French New Wave until 1959, when it was explicitly funding first time directors. While it was invested in fostering a French film culture in the 50s, it was largely funding the tradition of 'quality' that Truffaut condemns.